Chocolate Pearl

few kilometres from Chocolate Salt Spring Shine Craft Distillery. locally sourced apples and honey. Distance between us: 18 km Lavender Ganache Lavender is a flavour that marries wonderfully with chocolate. It’s the reason why we wanted to introduce a lavender ganache at Chocolate Pearl. But where does one get lovely lavender in Cowichan? Oh wait, there’s Damali Lavender & Winery in Cobble Hill. Distance between us: 15 km

Tea Ganache Even before we launched in 2017, a lovely tea ganache was always intended to be on our menu. And what do you know? There’s

Chocolate Pearl: our neighbour, Westholme Tea Lo-cal, no. Local, yes Company, that has the distinction of being Canada’s only Coffee Caramel Pearl, Tea Ganache, Coffee tea farm. Westholme Ganache, Salted Caramel Ganache, Milk has earned another Chocolate Salted Caramel distinction: exclusive Cheryl Painter supplier of Classic Yonge is head choc- Earl Tea to Chocolate Pearl. olatier and co-owner Distance between us: 8 km of Chocolate Pearl, 133 Craig Street in Duncan. www. Wine Ganache chocolatepearl.ca “Like water for chocolate?”.

If you look at Chocolate Pearl’s wine with chocolate?” Obviously, ad in this section, you’ll for our wine ganache, we have see our familiar catchphrase: umpteen quality local wineries “Lo-cal, no. Local, yes.” What to choose from. Currently we that means is this; although our use Zanatta Winery’s Pinot Nero chocolates aren’t low-calorie, in our wine ganache. Its fruit they do incorporate ingredients and spice flavours complement from many local agribusinesses our dark chocolate beautifully. – many of which are based just a Distance between us: 4 km. Pearl. What follows is a list of Coffee Ganache some of our chocolates made At Chocolate Pearl we’ve got with local ingredients and the tea ganache, so why not coffee local suppliers associated with ganache? We have two varieties them. to choose from, a half-round Apple Pie Caramel chocolate pearl filled with A delicious, soft chewy caramel espresso-infused caramel. Source full of apple spicy goodness. The of the coffee: our friends at secret ingredient to this divine Drumroaster Coffee in Cobble treat is a hint of “Apple Pie Hill. Distance between us: 10.5 Moonshine” from our friends at km Handmade in small batches, Chocolate Pearl: “Lo-cal, no. Local, their moonshine incorporates yes.” continued on page 55

Hmmm… how about, “We like ganache and a round milk

Wool Slipper Liners

Submitted by Anyes de Laat

Wool’s gentle, healing power — with tangible results — is constantly being relayed by customers to the folks at Soul Comfort Natural Sheepskin & Sheep Wool Products. Owner Anyes de Laat is proudly delighted about results her loyal customers have reported after one suggested using testimonials to tell other patients about wool’s miracle healing. “It’s all about educating people about wool and telling them that it really does work.

Why doesn’t the medical community refer people to wool? The proof is in the using. One wool user was Cliff Johnson, a brittle diabetic for some 40 years who’d undergone two years of dialysis. He shares his remarkable wool experience in a video testimonial on Soul Comfort’s fact-packed website. Cliff’s feet and heels were a nasty, painful mess of white ulcers that his RN wife, Barb, noticed were draining fluid. “It just terrified me,” Cliff says. “Nurses tried (healing work) really hard for 2 1/2 years and its never been good. Without wool, I’d still be suffering. It’s (ulcers) almost healed now.” “It was beyond me,” Barb said of treating Cliff’s ulcers that a public health nurse called “scary.” Cliff was also afraid after his hospital’s foot-and-ulcer clinic doctor said “‘Well, we may have to amputate.’ I just said ‘I’m gonna heal this.’” And heal it they did after receiving a diabetic-store sheet about wool products sold at Soul Comfort. “Anyes said wool is used on wounds and gave us internet information too,” Barb explained. “I found out wool is antimicrobial and won’t cause infections. I wadded some wool and wrapped it on (Cliff’s) wounds.” A few days later wool was stuck to the wound but the redness was less, the natural colour was returning and the wound was drying up on what had been heavily bandaged feet.

Barb lifts one of Cliff’s healing feet to show results from a week of wool use. “I truly cannot imagine why anyone with an ulcer would not use wool,” she says. Neither can convinced customer Heather Wilson. The former nurse buys sheepskin inserts for her house slippers to fight infections. “As a diabetic and retired RN, I understand how vital good foot care is. I’ve found wearing sheepskin-lined house slippers reduces and actually eliminates fungal infections on my feet (athletes foot).” The infection resurfaces if Heather doesn’t wear her slippers for a while, or if the sheepskin wears down. “The sheepskin lining is not only super-comfortable and cozy, it serves to wick away moisture from between the toes, so my feet stay dry. “When I worked as a nurse, the gold standard in preventing skin breakdown was always sheepskin under bony prominences, or pressure points like heels or the sacral area,” Heather notes.

“We deal with many doctors, nurses and occupational therapists who send people here for wool items to prevent bedsores, and for specialty footwear to accommodate their needs.”

For more about wool, the miracle healing fibre, contact Soul Comfort or visit their website at soulcomfortsheepskin.com.

Soul Comfort Sheepskin Wool 190 Fourth Street Downtown Duncan 250-737-1281

Gearing Down Into Autumn

Submitted by Denise D’Fantis

As leaves begin to change colour and the air turns crisp, we are reminded of the inevitable transition from summer to Fall and eventually the cold days of Winter. While Summer is all about activity, movement and expansiveness, the season of autumn, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), welcomes a quieter time, one that is characterized by slowing down and focusing inward. As plants begin to turn their energy downward from their leaves into their roots, so do humans according to TCM.

The lungs, which constitute our most superficial organ system and include the skin, respiratory system, and immune system, is the organ most closely associated with the season of Autumn, according to TCM. The lungs are the organs of respiration, responsible for supplying oxygenated blood to every organ of the body and eliminating the waste matter from the cells through our expiration. Deep breathing may be considered one of the most simple and efficient ways to strengthen the lungs, and has been shown to improve memory and cognitive functions, energy levels and to reduce stress and anxiety. “Slow, deep breathing increases the activity of the vagus nerve, a part of parasympathetic nervous system; the vagus nerve controls and also measures the activity of many internal organs. When the vagus nerve is stimulated, calmness pervades the body: the heart rate slows and becomes regular; blood pressure decreases; muscles relax. When the vagus nerve informs the brain of these changes, it, too, relaxes, increasing feelings of peacefulness. Thus, the technique works through both neurobiological and psychological mechanisms.” (Scientific American, January 2019)

The Large Intestine, the organ of waste elimination, is the secondary organ most closely associated with Autumn, according to TCM. Both the lung and large intestine organs help the body to rid itself of waste products. The Lungs must eliminate carbon dioxide and the large intestine eliminates waste from our digestive systems. TCM teaches that Autumn is consequently a time of “letting go” of unnecessary elements in our lives that no longer serve us in a positive manner. Like the leaves that shrivel and die and ultimately let go of the tree limbs that were holding them, we too should let go of patterns, lifestyle choices, dynamics, relationships, etc. that have staled and no longer nourish our physical and emotional growth. According to 5 Element Acupuncturist Neil Gumenick, “Take time each day to breathe slowly and deeply. As you inhale the clean autumn air, feel yourself energized and purified. Feel the old negativity, impurity, and pain leave your body and psyche. Then contemplate briefly who you are without these identifications”. Neil Gumenick, 1997 Cowichan Valley Acupuncture 170 Craig St, Downtown Duncan 250 715-5649